


Summer Breathe

by Josh89



Series: Breathe [1]
Category: Castle (TV 2009)
Genre: Background Relationships, But also kinda stupid, Canon Het Relationship, Don't copy to another site, F/M, Het, High School, I'll Explain Later, Kinda Fluffy, Major Original Character(s), Minor Canonical Character(s), Prequel, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-30 15:42:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21430648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh89/pseuds/Josh89
Summary: One-shot set in the Breathe universe. The start of summer vacation for 13-year-old Alex and Cassie, 3 glorious months spent at the Castles' beach house in The Hamptons.
Relationships: Kate Beckett/Richard Castle, Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Series: Breathe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1545028
Kudos: 1





	Summer Breathe

“Come on, only another five minutes…”  
I tapped my fingers against my desk subtly as I stared up at the clock on the wall, watching the hands as they slowly inched ever closer to 3:25 pm. At the desk beside mine, Cassie glanced over at me, grinning when she noticed what I was doing. She gave me a gentle smile and mouthed the word “Soon”, knowing exactly what had got me so impatient.  
For the first time since we’d known Ila and Zach, the four of us wouldn’t be hanging out together over summer vacation. Zach and his parents were going on a tour of Italy (or Greece, one of the two), and Ila would be going with her family to visit relatives in Australia. Cassandra and I, along with my older half-sister and my parents, would be heading up to my father’s beach house in The Hamptons for the next three months. Quite frankly, I couldn’t wait. And I was sure that Cassie couldn’t wait either.  
~Five minutes later~  
Riiiiiiiiiiing!  
“Finally!”  
Ignoring the teacher’s last-minute farewells, Cassie and I got to our feet, joining the rest of the class as they thronged through the open classroom door, heading for the lockers lining the halls for what would be the last time in approximately 12 weeks. “Thank god that’s over. Just think, at last, we’re free to enjoy the next three months without having to spend any of it thinking about school” Cassandra smirked.  
“Can’t wait. So, I’ll walk you home then?”  
She raised an eyebrow. “I thought we agreed that your parents were meeting us out front. Then the three of you would drop me at my place on your way home, and pick me up in about two hours, having given me a chance to finish up any last-minute packing that needs to be done”.  
“True, true”.  
Someone suddenly shoved against my back, pushing me up hard against my locker. “Have a nice vacation, kid. Because when we come back in the fall, things are going to get so much worse for you” a voice hissed.  
I barely managed to stop the scowl from spreading over my face. Rodney Kane, the school’s resident jock, was not going to get a chance to spoil the next three months for me. There was no chance whatsoever of that. “Piss off, Kane. Go spoil someone else’s afternoon, why don’t you?” I snarled.  
I had expected the reply, but it still threw me off guard for a couple of seconds. “Why should I? Maybe I like bothering you and your girlfriend”  
“You’re wasting your time. Not going to get a reaction from either of us today. Now go away and leave us alone” Cassandra replied.  
There was a (clearly faked) sigh, followed a couple of seconds later by the sound of retreating footsteps. I sighed, rubbing the spot on my back where he had pushed me, and turned to my girlfriend. “Cass, have I ever told you how amazing you are when you stand up to people like Rodney Kane?”  
She blushed. “Only every other day, Sandy”  
Normally, I hated that nickname, and the only reaction anyone who used it would get from me was either a death glare or an eye roll. But for some reason, when she was the one that used it to refer to me, I kind of liked it. “Let’s get out of here”.  
~Approximately 5 hours later~  
I stood on the veranda of the beach house, staring out at the ocean, watching as the moonlight played across the surface of the calm water. Footsteps behind me broke me from whatever abyss of my own mind I was lost in, and I turned to see Cassie (now wearing her favorite pair of jeans and a tight shirt) walking over to me, holding two cans of Coke in her hands. “I thought you might appreciate a cold soda, Alex. It’s been a long day, after all”.  
I nodded gratefully, accepting the offered can. Almost instantly, I popped the tab and held the can to my lips, sighing in satisfaction as the cold, fizzy, liquid slid down my throat and the carbon dioxide bubbles tickled my nose. “So, is there anything in particular that you want to do tomorrow? The five of us are going to be here for the next three months, we might as well enjoy it” I queried idly.  
She paused to consider the question and took a sip of her own drink before responding. “Actually, I was kind of hoping we could just hang around here this weekend. Watch a couple of movies, read, sunbathe, and maybe go swimming. You know; that kind of thing”.  
I smiled at her. “In all honesty, Cass, that actually sounds like a really good plan for the weekend. There are still a few books in my father’s Nikki Heat series that I haven’t had the chance to read yet, I should actually try to get them finished before the next one comes out”.  
She smirked in response. “You haven’t finished reading some of the Nikki Heat books yet? Oh, what a travesty (especially since your mother is widely renowned as the inspiration for Nikki Heat)… You’re going to love them. Especially the ending of Hamptons Heat, when Rook…”  
If it wasn’t for the fact that the chairs were on the opposite side of the veranda, up against the wall with the sliding glass door, I would have thrown a cushion at her for that remark. “Now, now, Cassie. No spoilers. Remember, I haven’t spoiled the ending of any of my father’s stand-alone books for you. I’d appreciate the same courtesy from you in response. Deal?”  
“Deal”.  
I merely smiled, taking another sip of the soda in my hand as the two of us stared out at the darkening sky. Yeah, this was most definitely not going to be a dull vacation…

**Author's Note:**

> The Breathe universe is a series of fics set in the universe of Castle. AU after the end of Hunt in Season 5, the main story of the series (which will be posted as Part 2) picks up 29 years after the events of the season happened. Alex is the son of Rick and Kate and the (much) younger half-brother of Alexis, and he is 26 at the time the main story starts. I'm happy to answer any other questions, just leave them in the comments section and I shall answer them when I can.


End file.
